Refrigerated display case



Jan. 2l, 1930. E. F. BEACON REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE Filed Feb. 26,1927 /w/ U A Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE EDWARDE. BEACON, or sT. LoUIs, MISSOURI, AssIGNoR, :BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro

BRECHT CASING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELA-WARE Af REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE Application filed February 26, 1927.Serial No. 171,134.

My invention relates to a refrigerated case for display of meat or otherfood products and its object is to provide certain improvements in theconstruction and operation thereof, among these being provision of meansfor protecting the joints ot the case from moisture, preventing theogging of the glass in the display window, improving the constructionfrom the standpoint of insulation, and also improving the service doorconstruction.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view ota case embodying my invention; Figures 2 and 3 are sectional and planviews respectively, of a container or drying material which is employedto space the panes of glass in the display window; and Figure 4 is aperspective view showing the exterior of the iront and one end of thecase.

As shown, the top of the case comprises longitudinally extending woodtrame members 1 and 2 and a top or cover member 3, also of wood. kFrame1 is provided with a r longitudinally extending recess for the receptionof wiring conduit 4, and to the lower edge of this member is secured thespaced panes of glass 5 forming the display window at the front of thecase. These panes of glass are secured at the lower end to anotherlongitudinally extending frame member 6 and the central pane of glass isspaced at the bottom from the inner and outer panes by means oftrough-shaped containers 7'which V are more fully described hereinafter.

The bottom of the case comprises a wall of wood 8 upon which issuperposed insulating material comprising preferably slabs ofcorkboard`10 and sheets of insulating paper 9, as shown. The uppersurface of the bottom of the case is preferably covered by means ofgalvanized iron lining 11 so positioned by spacing member 12, or othersuitable means, that moisture collecting therein will flow to r drainpipe 18.

In the manufacture of display cases with wood framing it is necessarythat joints be formed adjacent to corners of the casebetween the woodframing members, which construction is disadvantageous from thestandpoint of refrigerating eiiciency of the case because these jointspermit considerable heat exchange between the interior and exterior ofthe case. In order to overcome this ,which extend above the level of thebottom of the case and overlap the joint between the frame member 6 andthe frame member 15. These slabs extend along the front and ends of thebottom. The joints between corkboard slabs 14 and between'them and slabs10 is formed by means of asphalt or other suitable insulating material,and in the same manner a rear wall of the insulating container is formedby securing corliboard slab 16 to slabs 10 and 14.

The longitudinally extending frame member 17 at the rear of the caseforms the lower support for the sliding service doors 18 and 19. Theupper ends of these doors are supported on the abutments on frame member2, as shown in the drawings. The surfaces of the frame member 17 onwhich the doors rest and slide, are inclined inwardly, as shown, and theguide members for the doors, which are usual in display cases of thegeneral type herein described, are omitted, with the result that insteadof troughs being formed at this point for the collection of moisture itis discharged from the inclined bearing surfaces of the frame member 17into the interior of the case. The inclination of door 18, together withits weight, results in its being maintained in the proper position onthe frame member 15 while being slid to open and closed position withoutthe necessity of employing the usual inner flange or guide on the framemember for this purpose. As indicated the service doors are preferablyprovided with windows, the panes being spaced at the bottom by membersof the kind employed between the panes ot the front display window'.

In the operation of cases of the type described, considerable moistureCollects on the top of the case due partly to condensation and largelyto the fact that the cold meat products dispensed from the case areplaced on the top thereof during the course of delivery to the customer.Heretofore this liquid ran down the sides of the case into the jointsbetween the upper frame members themselves and between these members andthe window'glass or the frames therefor, and also into the spaceprovided for theelectric conduit for the Wires leading to the lamps bymeans vof wliiclrtlie interior of the case is illuminated. This moisturecaused the wood. to deteriorate and the joints to become defective. Inorder to overcome this condition I have provided vthe top of, the casewith a water-proof cover 20, which may be of metal or other suitablematerial, and which is exice doors, and means for supporting said doorsto cause them to be slidable in parallel paths, said support comprisinga bearing rail free from means capable of retaining liquid, said railbeing provided with surfaces forming a groove for receiving the loweredge of the inner door and with a bearing surface for the lower edge ofthe outer door contiguous to said groove and inclined to drain laterallyinto the groove any liquid collecting thereon, said groove being sopositioned as to discharge collected liquid laterally into the case.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto alix m signature, this 21st day ofFebruary, 1927.

. EDWARD F. DEACON.

tended downward from the top of the case and spaced at least at theterminal portion from the side walls of the case. At the front of thecasetheterminal edge of the cover is s o positioned as to be directlyabove the outer pane of the display window, whereby liquid f collectedby the cover will fall to the glassl doors and thus be prevented fromentering the case at the joints between the doors and the upper frame.

Air in the insulating space between the panes of glass of thedisplaywindow cont-ains some moisture and variations in temperature ofthis air, due to variations in the internal temperature of the case orexterior temperature, will of course result in some breathing actionthatis to say, escape of air from these insulating'spaces at times andingress of air from the exterior of the case or from the refrigeratorchamber atother times. 'Ihe moisture in this'air tends to condense onthe glass whenfthe case is in opera- 'tion for refrigeration of theproducts Adisplayed therein thus obscuring the customers vision of thearticles in the case. In order to overcome this diliiculty I place thecontainer spacers for the panes.

7 at the bottom of the spaces between the` panes of glass, both thedisplay windows and the service doors using these containers as Thecontainers are in the form of metal troughs extending longitudinally andcontaining suitable drying material, such as anhydrous Fcalciumchloride, This drying material is retained in the container by means ofmesh wire screen, as shown, which permits the moisture in the air to betaken up by the chemical and thus prevents the fogging of the glass. i

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is: l

A refrigerator case provided with twoserv-

